Tap (1989)

"...Hines is sensational...  Los Angeles Times
"...a surprisingly rich and affecting blend of dance and story...  Variety

Editor's Note Max, a recently released con, is an ex-hoofer intent on forgetting his tap roots. Crime has paid Max extremely well. But now that he is back on the street after a stint in prison, Max faces an uneasy future, trapped between two very different pasts. Actor-tap dancer extraordinare Gregory Hines plays Max with depth and gusto in what turns out to be a star making performance. In fact, the American Film Institute lists TAP on its list of "Star Performances."

	Gregory Hines
	Sammy Davis Jr.
	Savion Glover
	Suzzanne Douglass
	David Gribble - Cinematographer
	Gary Adelson, et. al. - Producer
	James Newton Howard - Original Music By
	Nick Castle - Director
	Nick Castle - Writer
	Patrick Kennedy - Editor

Gregory Hines, Savion Glover and a host of brilliant old-time hoofers (including Sammy Davis, Jr.) star in this musical that showcases the individuality, the style and the history of tapdancing.| Hines plays an ex-con who discovers that only through his art can he find both personal and racial pride, and put his life back together again.

"You can't really dust for vomit." (Nigel Tufnel)

Variety
"...TAP is a surprisingly rich and affecting blend of dance and story....Plenty of glowing contemporary entertainment..." 02/08/1989

Los Angeles Times
"...In the dance routines of TAP, Gregory Hines has a look of lazily ecstatic glee that's almost irresistible....Hines is sensational..." 02/10/1989 p.C6

Chicago Sun-Times 8 of 10
The weakness of "Tap," as I've suggested, is that almost everything that happens in the movie is borrowed, more or less frankly, from old movie lore. In a way, that's also a strength: This is a musical about musicals, as well as being a tap dance movie about tap dancers. The film about the decline of tap is, itself, a form of resurrection. I don't know how "Tap" will do at the movie box office, but I know that just as it stands, it's the scenario for a Broadway musical that could quite possibly be a very big hit. Of course, that's a cliche, too. - Roger Ebert